The Missing Kin
by G. Sun
Summary: In this story, something awful will happen to our heroine Mia and it is up to Don, the Leather Jacket Guy who uses her for Chaos Emeralds, to hopefully find her alive. The first major story for Mia. Read after THIEF OF HEARTS.
1. The Sinister Plot

**The first epic of Mia begins. You don't know how long I've waited to write it down, but it here it is, restored and all.**

This is the big day-I should be well-prepared for what must be done. When Xevia enters my bedroom, I look up and feign a smile at her. Today would be the last I have to see her annoying face and hear her annoying voice. "You brought it. I owe you my thanks."

"Are you sure this is for Seth?" she asks suspiciously. "I want to give him the amulet myself."

I chuckle. "No you don't. You're too afraid to do anything near him in fear that you'll do something embarrassing." When her peach face turns tomato, I smirk. "I am right. I told you already that I would give it to him and say it is a gift from you. Don't you trust me?"

"No! I-I'll-!"

"Tch, what?" If I have to spend another day with her, I will hang myself from the highest tree and I will sway beautifully in the wind like drying laundry on a clothesline. In the end, her gullibility will overpower her conscience because she truly believes Seth will like her if I give him the amulet. "You're already in trouble with Master for stealing the amulet." The black diamond in the center of the platinum amulet glistens when Xevia drops it in my hand. Trapped Dark aura is what is going to keep my alive when I visit World 75.

Xevia frowns guiltily and crosses her arms uncomfortably. "You're…you're really gonna tell him that it's my present?"

"Of course."

"But Seth...he doesn't really like you that much." I close my book, putting it down, and shove Shadow's Kiss into my vest pocket.

"I am but a messenger. No one hates a messenger, correct?" I scratch my nose, it itches terribly this evening, or afternoon, or morning. Who knows if the sun is truly shining or if the moon is watching me? At some point, this world used to be something else, something beautiful. But the overwhelming Darkness from the hearts of the living beings devoured it and bred creatures without hearts. It was never saved by the purifying Light like the other worlds and I'm glad it wasn't. Now I don't have to worry about the time, or the weather, or about other people. This world, World 15, is a blessing from God.

When Xevia reluctantly leaves my bedroom, truly believing my promise, I lock the door and take in a deep breath. Under the bed, I pull out the training axe Noxio gave me the first day I arrived here. It's coated in violet, concentrated Darkness, capable of corrupting the most innocent maiden. I carry out the next step robotically: my mouth opens and I inhale the gassy Darkness. _"Ew! It tastes like stale meat." _I rememberXevia complained the first time we tasted Darkness. Seth simply said, _"Olives." _To me it tastes like a sweet, ripe pomegranate. Once the axe is drained of Darkness, my cheeks puffed out with the syrupy Darkness settling on my tongue, my hands squeeze the weapon until a thick coal aura coils around it. The heated Darkness smelts the axe into shiny goo. This will be the hardest part. I pull out the amulet, scrutinizing it for any flaws that I should note down. It's a fairly simple accessory to clone. Seth only saw it once, there is no way he will tell the difference.

"_Seth, my star pupil, give me a few words," Nox said when he entered Seth's room. Both of them would prove to be useful to my design, I was sure. My underlying doubt transformed into a foundation of confidence. "I have crafted this." I heard the _ching_ of the soft chain being pulled out._

"_What is it?"_

"_Something that can protect you from the Light. I call it Shadow's Kiss. I want you to have it when the time comes for the 75__th__ World to fall." I could sense Seth's steadfast ego grow ten times bigger. But I know he was confused, he was unsure of it._

"_Why are you giving this to me?" asked Seth tentatively. "I haven't done anything to deserve this."_

"_Oh but you have. You are making tremendous progress Pupil and for that you deserve to lead the attack on World 48. There is another surprise for you in my chamber for when that time comes." I heard him rise from the bed and move towards the door. Stealthily, I retreated to the railing, jump down and land on the lower level without a problem. The way I moved, there was no way that he could have heard me. I made my way to the Master's chamber, opening two secret doors, and sprinting down an unlit hallway. Training in night vision has served its purpose. His chamber was unlocked and fortunately, he was seldom in there. I stepped into the plain room, drowned in thick, midnight darkness; there was no need to search hard for it-the blade hung over the bedframe majestically. The black blade shaped like a key with a blood red hilt reeking of pomegranates: the Keyblade of People's Hearts._

I lift the silver chain to thine eyes, proudly studying my masterpiece. When I release the Darkness from my mouth onto the chain, it seeps into the amulet and the chain glows an unnatural jet black. The quasi jewel created from my Darkness shows me my reflection. I have baggy eyes from last night, assuming it was nighttime, and a red scratch from scratching myself in my sleep. When I stick out my tongue, its burnt black but I don't feel the tingling sensation I did the first time I tried this. Getting to my feet, I fall back on the bed and let the new Shadow's Kiss hang off the bedframe to cool off.

' ' '

The hideout has been prepared, the Keyblade in my possession, and nobody suspects a thing. Telling Seth of my plan won't affect a single thing-isn't that humorous? He wouldn't dare lift a finger to help his former friend because he knows better. He's teaching himself restraint and by saving Mia, he would only regress. Seth glares at me when he reaches the top of the stairs. "What?"

"A present from an admirer," I reply with a patronizing curtsy. Never let him see or understand you.

"Which one?"

"Me of course." When he doesn't smile, I add, "I've been infatuated by your looks Seth. Please take this as a present." When I pull out Shadow's Kiss, he gawks at it. My visage is automatically blasé.

"How did you get that?" he asks, baffled, but trying not to show his confusion.

"Xevia got it for you. I am simply the messenger." That's it, just take it. Come on now. He reaches his hand out and opens his palm. I open mine as I place it in his hand.

"Why would she take it?" Oho, pretend that you don't know see a reason why she would give it to you. Xevia's crush on Seth lacks subtly and a good liar can see through a bad lie. "She-she has no reason to-"

The pseudo amulet teeming with Darkness glistens in his palm as he brings it to his face. "Love is her only reason. Now if you excuse me." I turn his back to him and head back to my room. His hand slams on my shoulder. "Problem?" Everything is going according to plan, no need to fret over a simple touch. Seth is too dumb to tell the difference.

"Why-is your tongue black?"

"Looking at my tongue?" I turn halfway and fix my face into an amiable, irresistible countenance. "Would you like it inside you? I doubt Xevia would be pleased." He briskly lets go and shoves past me to go back to his room. Making people uncomfortable is why I succeed at what I do. Master even told me once before, _"Nate, you are no fighter like Seth. But you most certainly are the most cunning and for that reason, you are brilliant."_

"_Thank you." I replied._

"_It is for that reason that I can never trust you," he added with a deep frown._

The amulet clicks together behind my neck and I can already feel an invisible shield surrounding me. Remember, the cavern by the fourth pillar is where you'll take her in World 50. Taking Mia away will be the simplest part of this elaborate design. It's unfolding like taking apart sophisticated origami.


	2. A New Journey Begins!

Will holding this bow staff do anything for me? I can spin it well, hit some people, and emit the powers of Light and Darkness from it. But I couldn't do anything when the bandit came at me. Maybe I am truly a weakling like Seth is saying about me-I really can't do anything. Wait no, that's not true! You saved people before, that's something isn't it? No, it's not enough to make me as wise as Mizuki or as strong as Risa.

The storm that started a couple of days ago hasn't let up a bit. There were times when the rain would cease abruptly and I thought that the sun would come out, like in Moonlight Town. But then the rain would come back with a vengeance. The tears of the sky are finally letting up today however. I sheathe the bow staff in its Dark-sensitive carrier and step out the door. The drizzle seeps down my bangs as I glance at each side of the blooming shrubbery. Some of the flowers are well-developed, bringing color to the dreary, foggy day while there are plenty of buds still waiting for their time to blossom.

I guess I'm doing another mission if Mr. Erick could forgive me for failing that other one. Much to everyone's displeasure, the thief got away but fortunately didn't take Mizuki's and Risa's hearts. But we'll get _her_ next time. I'm sure of it-yeah, I'll be stronger and faster when I face her again. A car drives by as I stay adjacent to the main road. There weren't many cars used on the islands, everyone liked to walk around and enjoy nature. I look down at my new black flats, relieved to no longer be wearing boots. But maybe I should have worn boots so that my flats don't get messed up in the mud. I hop over a deep puddle, stumbling slightly when I land. It's a good thing no one else is around to see me like this. My shoes make loud sucking noises in the dirt, the only noise that I hear out here. The drizzle lets up a little, thank goodness. What's the black thing in fog up ahead? Before I could surmise anything, my mouth meets a cloth that smells like a pungent substance and I'm instantly covered by darkness' cold sheets.

* * *

How long has it been since I've walked down this path, months ago. When I woke up I could barely run, let alone walk. This happens whenever I wake up: I forget how to walk. How frivolous is it that a person with all my talents and abilities has to relearn how to walk as if I'm a baby. The first time that it happened, Angelica helped me get back on my feet. I never deserved her kindness.

I stop to stare at the thick stratus cloud in the distance, swallowing my path in grey. Something ocean blue protrudes from the fog, which reminds of the girl I met before everything became black. I lean forward, walking cautiously to the human-sized figure. The last person I saw before I saved the world from the red orb Professor unleashed was that girl with the blue hair who carried a perennial sadness within her. The same person who can find Chaos Emeralds in other worlds-yes, what was her name again? Starts with a M…

As I go nearer to the blue figure, it is swallowed into the grey mist. In its place is a man-no, a boy a little bit younger than me, holding something-_someone_. The gust of wind buffets me austerely and forces me to close my eyes. One of my rings slide off my jacket sleeve and I hear the sound of it growing. The ring slices through the harsh wind, making it nothing more than a breeze. I open my eyes and sense an unnerving presence behind me. The rat-haired boy smirks as his arm slings a body over his shoulder. As I peer closer, I instantly recognize the face of the young girl with blue hair, the girl who convinced me to save the world, the girl who I was going to make me find Chaos Emeralds today, the girl whose position on my radar is supposed to be the easiest person to help me get those jewels. Mia is her name. "What're you doing?"

He doesn't answer but puts his open hand behind his back. Before he does anything stupid, I summon the giant ring and it automatically charges at the attacker. Struck by the blow, he flies into the air. In midair, a deep purple hole appears behind him and he flashes a smug smile before disappearing into it-sneaky little kid. My gold ring shrinks and slinks back to my sleeve.

There are always the other two girls that crashed here too. I glance at my watch and swear aloud. The radar is not picking up the other two signals. Perchance they are no longer in this world anymore, or they died while I was sleeping. But the Professor didn't say otherwise about the two girls. She told me to keep using Mia for convenience and the other two as backups. But the backups are wiped clean off the radar and I don't have the _slightest_ idea of where they could have gone with the exception being Mia. I raise my head to the portal, which looks more like a purple scratch rather than a hole. What is that on the ground? I head over the chain on the road and scrutinize it. The jet black diamond in its center blows out like an electric circuit at my touch. Purple and red mist seep from its core once I throw it back down. There's only one option for me and failure is not one of them.

I take five steps back for a running start and leap into the scratched vortex. For a couple of seconds, everything around me is blood red, blinding me. My brain is rotating within my skull and my arms and legs' numbness beats the urge to kick and flail. When I land on solid ground, my mouth tastes the soaked dirt. I try to jerk my head out of the dirt but I'm stuck there, along with the rest of me. This never happened when I traveled the worlds with Mia, why did this happen now? I growl into the insect-teeming ground, watching the ants scatter hurriedly. When I find that boy, I'll do the same to him, that is a promise.

As soon as the tingling in my arms disappear, I push myself out of the dirt, spitting out the insects that were crawling around in my mouth. I brush some of the dirt off my clothes, smearing my black denim. I just missed sunset, judging by the orange colors mixing in the sky. Bamboo groves buffet my body as I maunder through the wilderness. I have no idea where I am or where to find that boy. Who knows how long I've been walking in circles? Far away, I could hear shouting of some kind. Soon after, the groves shuffle anxiously. I'm not the only "lost" person here. With hope, it could be that boy-but when was hope ever been in my corner? "Give us your name!" someone shouts in front of me.

"I don't have to give you a damned thing," I reply coolly.

"Then tell us why you have come here."

"Let me be on my way, I'm not bothering anyone."

"Ye are intrudin'," a female snarls.

"You do not want to pick a fight with me right now."

"I'll ask you one more time-"

"If you're the ones threatening me, then why are you hiding behind sticks?" At that taunt, four people step out of their hiding spots: three men and one girl each carrying swords at their belts.

"We do not wish to hurt you," says the man in the middle about my age with hair the same color as the midnight sky. He was the one who first spoke to me. Another guard, much meatier than the one in the middle, spits at my feet.

"Speak for yourself. I want to wring his little neck."

"Tell us who ye are n' why ye are here n' we won't harm ye," adds the woman in her twenties with blonde, coarse hair. The third man keeps his mouth shut but narrows his scarred eye at me. I scoff, unable to hold back my displeasure at the motley crew any further.

"Do not threaten me."

"Why are you here?" inquires the man in middle with sangfroid, presumably the leader. When I don't answer his ludicrous question, the big one steps forward, cracking his knuckles. "Wane-"

"I don't even need my sword to take care of this cock." When he swings his fist at me, my head jerks back and I plant a hard kick in the side of his muscle-covered ribcage. I'm sure the crack sent him to the ground and not the kick. At the howling of her comrade, the illiterate slashes her sword as if she were holding a mace instead. I leap over her and before she could face me, my arm is around her neck, suffocating her. Her sword drops as she feebly attempts to scratch through my overbearing arm. I hear her last breath and swiftly kick her towards the young man who stayed quiet all this time. He fails to catch and thus falls flat on his back, already knocked out. "You want to try too?"

"You-fiend!" The young man sheathes his sword and lunges at me boldly; I dodge a flurry of his hacks and slashes effortlessly. His face scrunches up as he lifts the sword high over his head and brings it down on me. I skip out of the way and aim my lightening kick at his face. A solid hit sends him back to a bamboo stick, but he shakes off the hard blow and runs toward me with my blue imprint on his face. I do a front flip over him and punch at his spinal cord, but he automatically puts the flat side of his blade behind his back so that I hit his blade.

"Very clever." The warrior swiftly faces me and cocks his sword hand back. Like a bull, he lunges at me and like an _ignorant_ bull, he will go down. With my legs spread and my knees bent, I pull my hands back, waiting for him to make the wrong move. Instead, he makes the right move. He deftly throws the jade sword at my head as if it is a football. With discomfort, I force myself to slip and fall, ducking the blade just barely. Then with great force, the clever warrior snatches my shirt and knees me in the stomach. If I ate any food before coming here, it would be all over him. He's the only one who got close enough to actually hurt me.

He throws me to the ground before I can touch his face and runs behind me to get his sword that is planted in a bamboo stick. This one is tough and not stupid-you never see that combination before. With my sneakers kicking up dirt, I sprint after him; he moves pretty fast for an average human. When I catch up with him, he yanks the sword out and points it at me menacingly. "One move and I cut your face off." Sweat drips down his well-groomed face.

"Here I thought you were smart." With a swift stomp to his calf, he tumbles onto the bamboo, keeping his eyes locked in mine. Using the brief window of opportunity, my mind connects with the shining gold rings. Four of them slide off my sleeves and instantly quadruple in size, shimmering gold. They surround the swordsman, ready to strike him down at a moment's notice. If he's smart, he'll stay put and let me be on my way, wherever I'm going. If not, his promising life will be cut. "You're going to let me walk?"

His answer is a loud grunt as he pushes himself up and quickly grabs the gold ring with one free hand. The other ones slam into him mercilessly and his sword slips from his grasp with a pained groan. With his newly-freed hand, he grabs onto the top portion of the ring and unexpectedly swings his boots into my face. I crash to the ground and scramble to get to my feet; that's when I realize that his sword is not on the ground where it should be. A blunt blow crashes into the back of my head and delivers me into a bamboo stick. I underestimated this warrior too much-he's stronger than I thought. For a while I was playing with him but now I have to respect his power. "Are you dead?" the warrior asks tentatively. It's a shame that from all that, I got a tingle at the side of my head.

"What do you think?" I reply, picking my head and slowly turning to face him. The man sighs tiredly and wipes the sweat from the curls resting on his forehead.

"For an alien, you are really good. I'll…I'll give you that," he admits. This is my first time being called an alien.

"_Alien?"_

"Yes, you're not from here. Not from this world I mean."

I don't even try to hide it. "How do you know?"

"Why should I tell you when you won't even give me a name? Why should I tell you after you killed my friends?"

"They are all alive."

"Hassa," he stares at the body of the unconscious boy who I threw the girl at. She abruptly gasps but I know that she is too weak to move. The grown man named Wane grunts at his leader's voice.

"We're all here, Luke." Relief spreads across is face but shifts into anger when he glowers at me.

"Why didn't you slice my face off?" I ask with my arms folded. "You could've while I was on the ground but you hit me with the blunt edge." My face tingles at the verbal reminder. His mouth twitches.

"I didn't want to kill you. You are a powerful fighter too, which I admire. Thank you-for not killing my allies," he bows his head stiffly. Courtesies and compliments are a pure waste of time-finding that boy that took Mia is my number one priority. "But I would like to have a word with you."

"Regarding?"

"Everything."


	3. Stolen Heart

"Luke, watch out!" The swordsman Luke turns in the direction of the ball of hard earth flying towards him. Two young boys wait for his response as if he's an extraterrestrial celebrity. Luke blocks the ball of hard earth with his crossed arms. The boys groan disappointedly because they expected him to do something amazing with it. Then the ball drops and with the blade of his foot, he kicks it upward, switching between feet and then finally he kicks it back to the kids. "That was so cool!"

"Just try not to hit anyone else," advises Luke warmly. If it were me, they would be crying in their mother's arms or more than likely, they'd catch it and gape at me fearfully. Boots stomp noisily behind us; I could feel eyes burning into the back of my head.

"Can you tell your guards to mind their business?" I try to ask leniently, but it comes out crossly. Luke stops smiling at the children and faces me.

"Huh?"

"Your guards. You said you wanted to talk to me only, not them." He peeks over my shoulder and sighs when he sees I'm right.

"Please go back to your posts, I'm fine!"

"We don't feel real comfortable with you near that-_man_," replies Wane as if he's unsure about my species. "You could use some back up you know."

"He has given me his word that no harm shall come to either of us." Either of us? You should be _very_ concerned of the probable harm that will come to you, pretty boy. He looks back at me as if he could read my thoughts. "Something humorous?"

"You."

"What about me?"

"You wanted to discuss things with me, let's get on with it. Unlike you, I don't have time to waste."

"So why were you wandering outside Bove?"

"I wasn't wandering." We continue our all-too-lenient stroll to wherever he considers a good discussion room, but not without saying hello to all of the denizens. He is loved here-he is their deity and their symbol of peace. I find Bove to be very lush but too hilly to roam freely. There are no cars or any form of advanced technology so I assume everyone here is healthy but dumb. We climb up the steep steps of pebble concoctions that bring us to an elevated part of the Bove. The view of the bamboo woodlands is magnificent from up here.

"In awe, Traveler?" Luke says without turning to me. He makes another turn and says, "one more steep slope!" In a dark alley, we sprint up the fresh cobblestone slope, our shadows following close behind. The outdoor lanterns by each condo turn on as we pass each one, flickering in the evening sky. When we reach the top, Luke's home is a building separate from the combined condos, a small, simple-looking cabin anyone would find in the woods. We walk across the miniature bridge before finally reaching the sliding door. From his pocket, he pulls out a small key and quickly opens the door. "Make yourself at home."

"I don't have the time," I gruffly reply, ducking my head under the low ceiling as I climb in. Luke steps in after me and points to the arched doorway with the silk drapes.

"We can talk in there." Who knows where that other boy could be right now? Why am I wasting my time with this celebrity? I should stay focused on what I came here for. I push the drapes out of the way and see a woman in her fifties with coal hair with strands of grey sweeping the kitchen floor. She squints her eyes at my suspiciously.

"We have a guest?" she asks, reminding me of someone I used to talk to who was the same age she is.

"Yes Gran. Come, have a seat." Without seeming too impatient, I pull up a chair and sit at the table, staring at the one golden rose in the water-filled vase. Luke plops in his chair at the head of the table. "Would you like anything to eat? Anything strike your fancy? Gran could make just about anything."

The old woman laughs. "Thank you for the compliment, but I am no five-star chef. Besides, this young man looks like he's itching to exchange a few words with you Luke."

"Is she right sir?"

"Quite."

"Gran, some privacy please?"

She nods slowly, takes her broom, and steps out of the kitchen. "No drinks either?"

"None."

"We never properly introduced ourselves. My name is Luxeroh, but it's a mouthful," he says with playful disdain. "Everyone prefers Luke."

"Don," I quickly reply. "What kind of questions do you have so I can be on my way?"

He scratches his untangled hair and smiles warmly. How can he be so civil to someone who attacked him? "Where did you come from?"

"A place you don't know."

"Maybe I do know."

"Metropolis."

Luke rubs his chin thoughtfully and looks up at the light bulb for an answer. "Doesn't ring any bells. You really are from another world."

"And how did you figure that out?"

"I know a good amount of people that came from different worlds. That's including my parents, but they have passed away a long time ago. Some were very subtle about it and then there were others like you who didn't know the definition of inconspicuous unless it _kicked _them in the face," explains Luke with a smirk I'd like to rip off his face. "But the real question is why you've ended up here." I take the crumpled, decayed golden rose out of its vase. "That was given to me a long time ago by my mother before she left. I still hang on to it and I can't bring myself to throw it out, I know-it's silly," he informs with an embarrassed chuckle.

"You're not that sharp, you know that?"

"Excuse me?"

"You give out too much information to strangers. For all you know, I could be a serial killer with bloodlust waiting for the opportune time to strike you down." Luke falls gravely silent. The straws of the broom brushing against the wooden floor seem loud now that no one is speaking. I'm just a hypocrite- as he hangs on to something that is decayed but beautiful, I keep holding on to my own decayed, but precious memories of Angelica.

Luke gulps and sighs deeply as if trying to repress something hidden. He has an easy face to read-now that I have a good look at his face, he reminds of someone else. I know I've seen those jade eyes before. "So tell me Don-why did you come to this world?" he sounds more like an adult than five seconds ago.

"I came-"

"_Honesty counts_. Please," he says in a low tone. He might have seen the boy pass with Mia. There's no harm in asking him.

"I followed a boy to this world…and a girl."

"What did the boy look like? Perhaps I might've seen him." I rake through my memories for the answer.

"Brown hair, a fair complexion, and he was wearing a black robe." Luke furrows his eyebrows and wrinkles form on his forehead. Is he seriously trying to remember some random boy for a stranger's sake? He's too gullible and naïve. He shakes his head sadly with his eyes on the golden rose I'm playing with.

"No, I haven't. Did you say a girl?"

"I did. Her hair is blue, green eyes, a little tan and wearing a blue dress. She was being carried off by him, so if you didn't see him you couldn't have seen her," I deduce, pushing myself from the table. "Which means I just ended up wasting my time here." Before I could rise, Luke jumps from the chair.

"I'm sorry, I truly thought I could help you. Maybe I still can," he insists as I push the drapery away, heading towards the sliding door.

"Doubt it," I retort pulling the sliding door open. "Coming here has distracted me from what I'm really supposed to be doing and if you think that you could help, you're sorely mistaken-" a gasp and thud follow as I step outside. "Thank you for wast-" when I turn around, Luke is sprawled on the floor face down. I gently roll him on his back with my foot and bend down to feel his pulse. His neck is cold as space.

* * *

The shadows dance with me as I hurry down the spiral steps of the cavern. In a few minutes, she'll be breathing again and I don't want that to happen. Downstairs, the spacious underground tomb is covered in the dark. Abruptly I stop my pace and feel for Shadow's Kiss around my neck and all I touch is my cotton robe. It must have been dropped when I briefly fought that older man. Who was he in relation to her? It's most likely someone I shouldn't be concerned about.

From my shoulder, I slump Mia on the damp, cold ground, perfect for breeding creatures of the night. The Keyblade of People's Hearts appears in my hand, attracted to my Darkness. If it wasn't for the added Darkness of this cave, this Keyblade wouldn't even bother with me. Seth will always be the true wielder of this blade, but I currently have more Darkness than he-I should be grateful for that. I take in a deep breath as I grip the hilt with both hands and lift it high above her chest. I'm glad that even in this darkness, I can see her pretty face before her heart is robbed from her. I smile, thinking of all the things I could've said to Seth about Mia before I took her heart for my own-he would hate it so much. Unattainable power is just a plunge away Nate. A power that can take down Nox, Seth, and everyone that always stood in my way to get here. _It will belong to me and only me._

Mia sharply gasps as the Keyblade is plunged into her chest. A light encircles the area between her breasts, briefly letting me see her expression of shock. Her mouth is open and her pupils are dilated in agony and fear. Gradually, something crimson rises from the circle of light. As her illuminated, crystallized heart leaves her body, it paints the room crimson. I watch her chest lurch upward, her fingers tremble and try to make a fist, as if trying to retain the heart she is losing. She loses the battle with a quiet sigh and her eyes close for good. I can feel my mouth curling into a U when she accepts defeat, but it sinks when I see her heart's true form. Mia's heart is not what I pictured from Nox's previous discussions; I expected something colossal and healthy. Instead, it is an above-average sized heart with several cracks as if it is barely being held together by some force, this will have to do. I drop the Keyblade and stretch my arms out to the cracked heart. "Finally…"

And then it flies past me and zooms up the steps in a rose blur. The cavern becomes dark yet again. I turn around to check if her body hasn't evaporated yet. "This is an interesting matter, one I've never read about before. You got lucky, Mia." I'm a patient person.

* * *

When I drop his body, the old woman called Gran gets on her cracking knees to hold Luke in her arms. There goes the warrior of Bove, dead inexplicably. At least Gran is smart enough to realize that I did nothing to her grandson or she's too shocked to say anything. I step outside in the dark night and get a glimpse of the stars. They're as a blue as the daytime sky-maybe that is the only thing that makes this world different. As I cross the bridge, I can still hear Gran's sobs over Luke's body.

' ' '

"Where's Luke?" demands Hassa roughly as she stands at her post. "Did ye do anything to hurt him?"

"Nothing at all."

"Fred said otherwise."

"Fred?"

"Luke's squire. Quiet lad, never did anything to nobody. He said he saw ye kick Luke's body and he says ye did something to him," she says accusingly. The fire from the torch she's holding shines in her cold glare. I raise my hands as I continue to head out of the village.

"He collapsed when I was leaving. There's nothing more to it," I reply nonchalantly with my back to her now. I could hear someone panting not too far away from me after silencing that illiterate. It's one of Luke's guards that wants to avenge the death of his leader.

"I promise ye, I'll-what-!" The sprinter stops directly behind me when I preemptively face the eager . It doesn't turn out to be a guard but someone else I don't expect.

"I finally caught up with…you," his abrupt stop sends the moist soil to my pants. Sweat descends from his dark blue hair. "You're very fast."

"I assumed you'd died."

"I thought so too," agrees Luke with a beet red face. "Thought it was something you might've done to me that I didn't realize."

"What do you want?" I ask sharply, hurt by such an accusation.

"To help you."

"And how will you do that? You don't know how to."

"And _you_ know where to find the boy who took that girl?" When I don't answer, he confidently adds, "Well I do. When do you want to head out?" If I wait another minute in that dreadful town, I'll make it a living hell.

"Now."


	4. Painful Differences

The sky grows darker with every step we take through the forest of bamboo. Our shoes stomp against the ground as we sprint through the cool night. He can move fast, I'll give him that, but he's going way too slow for me. The moon provides us with the light we need to see our own feet rapidly moving through the forest. Silently, I ponder Luke's strange revival: I was certain that Luke died due to some illness that is unknown to me. He didn't have Angelica's disease-his hair roots were all one healthy color-so I presumed that it was a unique ailment indigenous to this world. But he appears to be healthy for the time of being. He comes to a slow stop as we reach finally reach a clearing. "Sorry, I need a break," he says in between pants. "I hope you can wait a little longer."

"I can't," I reply, crossing my arms tensely. My legs are itching for a long run. "Can you expedite your break?"

"You're…not even…going to-whew-ask about earlier-?"

"That's your business," I put it bluntly to his disappointment. "The only question I have for you is how far do we have to go?"

"Quite far. There's no way we can get there in one night," when he hears me grunt, he adds, "did you really expect to find these people in one night?"

"Are you done with your break, because I'm ready." Luke slugs his backpack on and nods with the determination he had when we first met. The suffocating bamboos are gone as we descend from the roaming hills of Bove. Like uneven humps on a camel, the rest of the hills followed suit which resulted in a few-too-many breaks. With some "pushes of encouragement" from me, Luke continues to lead me over the steep, lush hills. If it was sunny, I might just slow down to catch a view of these hills. The silence of the night-besides Luke's panting and us running-unnerves me; silence always made me worried ever since I was young. Nonetheless, I have to focus on getting Mia back ASAP and I have to prepare to deal with that sneaky kid who snatched her. "One more hill Don, and we will have reached the Twins by the sun's peak."

"We'll beat that." With a sudden burst of energy, I zoom past Luke, reaching the pinnacle of the highest hill in a matter of seconds. The wind blows my stubby hair back forcefully; the blue stars begin to fade into the early morning grayish clouds. Everything is starting to brighten a bit. "You need to hurry up." I don't have the patience I had years ago.

"No need to bark Don," he replies with an undertone of annoyance. Good, he's starting to toughen up. He finally joins me at my side, profusely sweating. "I don't know how you have the energy to do this."

"I'm focused. Down now." I sprint down the slope, letting gravity serve as the catalyst of my speed. I hear Luke's clumsy steps from behind me and his cups clanking in his bag as he descends down. Then unexpectedly, he burst out laughing during our trip down like a giddy child. "Where are the Twins?" His laughter serves as an answer improper. "Which way are the Twins?" He simply points northeast to two colossal mountain ranges adjacent to each other while shaking in laughter.

' ' '

"Ah, such fun. I kept telling myself that I would roll down the highest hill when I have the time. But I never ended up coming. I guess I procrastinated a little." Luke leans against the mountain's wall, taking gulps of spring water from his canteen. "Please, I just need a moment's rest. As you said, we got here before sun's peak so just a five minute nap will suffice. You should rest up too."

"Sure." He falls into a quick slumber followed by soft snoring. Although he's my age, he has the heart of an innocent child. He hasn't seen the world like I have. I bet all his life he's been treated like a beloved prince without consequences; his home isn't a castle but the way he's treated at his home has shown me enough to make me think so. _He and I are complete opposites of one another_. I lean against the mountain wall opposite of Luke, gazing up at the lighter sky. That's why I liked Angelica, she was so much like me. I can't ask for her forgiveness when I don't deserve it. She was an _angel_ and I'm the _demon_-it's even in our names. I let my head drop but my ruby eyes stay open; I've slept long enough.

When I raise my head, yellow eyes surround me. I instantly jerk my head back as one of the yellow-eyed creatures takes a swipe at my face with its claws. When my head meets the wall, I prop my hands on the wall and I double kick the creature in front of me hard enough to make it vanish. I deftly get on my feet before the three flying monsters swarm me and before they could touch my rings, I swing a back fist at all of them, causing them all to disappear into floating, gem-like hearts. I see more of them swarming around me and even more attracted to the sleeping Luke.

* * *

_I was five years-old when my swelled-up mom came into my bedroom and told me the news. She told me she was going to give me a little sister. "We don't know what her name will be yet. Aren't you excited?" I smiled a toothy grin at the announcement. I had wanted a sibling for the longest time and I finally would get one. She planted a kiss on my head and whispered, "good night." It sounded as though she was still alive, lulling me to sleep. "Luxeroh, oh my sweetie…" Later I heard my dad's footsteps as he entered the room._

"_Luke, you'll be a big brother soon. Luke-" he repeated my name softly with his tone was gruff. "Luke, Luke, Luke-"_

Luke…Luke. Luke, Luke! "Luke!" Don's voice distinguishes itself from Dad's, "Luke." When my eyes open slowly, a hard tugging brings me on my feet clumsily.

"What? Wha?" This guy is always in a rush to do everything. And why in the world did I remember that? "Creatures of the n-_nnnngh_!" My chest pangs as it did at home, except that the pain lasts for a second and not for five. When it happened to me the first time it felt as though someone shoved a rock through my chest and there was nothing I could do about that. Fortunately this isn't as bad but I inexplicably manage to mutter, "H-Heartless. They're Heartless!" Don looks at me quizzically for a second and then turns around to destroy one of the flying Heartless. I unsheathe my blade and scrutinize the one behind Don's head. It has bat wings and is wearing some aviator attire with a look of bloodlust in its deep lemon eyes. I charge and swing the blade upward, causing it vanish in a puff of purple mist. As I watch its small crystal heart float towards the dark orange sky, I shout at Don. "We have to take this path out of here. Come on!" Don leaps in the air, swiftly kicks two of them, and speeds up the twisting, narrow path. Before joining his side, I swipe at another Heartless as if buzzing off a fly and grip my sword as I run after him.

The rock-filled path splits into two narrower paths. I glance behind me, spotting more Heartless on their way, and turn back to Don. "We don't have much time-!" Don abruptly stops and looks above.

"Do these paths take you to different places?"

"No. But I know that the left side is much safer because-"

"To the right," he commands, ignoring my suggestion. Does he want us to get killed? There are boulders that will come tumbling down on us before we can even make it. Doesn't he see them? Before he takes off running, I grab his shoulder.

"There are rocks that can crush us, we need to go down the left," I earnestly insist. He shakes my hand off his shoulder brusquely, not caring about what I think and continues down his path. "You have to listen to me!" I turn around again and the Heartless are closing in on me. I guess I don't have much of a choice. I sprint after him, slowing down the pace once the path becomes too narrow to run through. Leaning on one of the Twin's wall, I scramble across cautiously, trying to remain sangfroid. I can hear Don barking at me from up ahead, "hurry up if you want to live!" Nobody has ever spoken to me in such a tone before-he's too bad-tempered and curt for my ears. I flinch as I feel a pebble slide onto my shoulder from the Twin's shoulder.

"This was not a good idea!" I cry out. The path now becomes too narrow for my feet, I have to use the walls. I place my feet on the wall, leaning back on the Twin's arm of hard earth and scuffle over to Don. In my peripheral vision, crimson claws swipe at my head. I could hear their wings fluttering right next to me.

* * *

My pair of floating rings are ready at an arm's notice. Luke is taking too long-this is a risky plan. "Come on!" I bark. Finally, moving at a snail's pace, with the Heartless at an even slower pace, Luke gets nearer to me. "Now." I thrust my arms out from my side and the golden rings crash into each of the walls. Luke leaps out of the V path, crashing right by my feet, and the mountains rumble just in time. The boulders Luke mentioned roll down each side of the V immediately, dog piling on top of one another brutally. As the sun ascends into the sky, a plethora of pink hearts fly towards the heavens.

"I could've d-died," stammers Luke, obviously bothered by my idea. He scrambles to his feet and steps toward me.

"It wouldn't have mattered to me."

"You need me to find your friends."

"They aren't _my friends_. Don't ever tell me what I need."

"You're such a-!" He decides to hold his tongue and turn tomato red.

"Where do we go from here?" I ask, disregarding his discomfort. He swallows, takes in a deep breath, and then exhales in an attempt to calm down.

"We-we have to go west. There's a boat we have to catch and-we've got a long way to go Don. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Positive. I don't care about what I have to go through."


	5. Strange Similarities

Even though Luxeroh has not said a word to me, his anger coats his skin like fur. He is terrible at concealing his emotions; this poor kid can be read like a book like that girl Mia. Which makes him and her both terrible liars. How long will it take for me to reach her? A week? A month? A year? If I find that boy who took her first then I can reach her, but luck has never been on my side. It's as if the heavens and the laws of the universe are all against me, as if they bear a grudge against me-I don't blame them. Although I'm aware of Luke's forced silence, I force him to talk. "Where are we?"

"I'm not sure…" he replies tentatively, his face momentarily breaking his countenance of bitterness.

"What do you mean you're not sure? You said you knew where you were going."

"I remember what I said Don," he rebukes sharply. "I know we're going the right way but I-I don't recognize this place." The valley looks as if it were torn asunder by war; the soil beneath our feet is dry as the Sahara Desert. It looks as if it used to be fertile and full of verdure but time took its hefty toll on this place. "This place gives me a bad vibe."

"I don't have time for suspicion, I have a job to do."

"If you didn't notice, I'm with you on this. We have to do this," Luke struggles grunting out the word, "together."

"If you don't want to be here, you can go home to your Gran-Gran and drink all the damn lemonade you want." That seems to shut him up, but that doesn't solve the mystery of the war-ravaged valley. Something tells me that I should be astute here, something's off. Luke sees it too as we cross the tiny bridge over the shallow muddy stream. He knows where he's going which is all that matters right now. I examine the cliffs above us; they provide good cover for an attack and are perfect for a siege. I could hear the whizzing of the birds fly by my ears and then a thud follows. In my peripheral vision, Luke is napping on the ground face down. What a simple fool-

The whizzing bird strikes the back of my head, nearly knocking me over. I reach for the back of my head and instead of feeling a bird, I pull out a dart with a blunt edge. "So much for the birds." I bent down to pick the blunt dart from Luke's curly hair and scrutinize them carefully. "How interesting that you managed to stay conscious," says a man coming from my left. I face him and his group of uniformed spearmen.

"And who might you be?" I inquire with my arms folded.

"Take that one," says the bearded man. His henchman circumvents me and harshly brings the unconscious Luke to his feet. When his face is lifted into the light, one of the henchman say, "It's him General, without a doubt."

"Good. It's about time that monster pay for his crime," replies the bearded general scornfully. "Drop him off with the others. Now about you-what do you know about Luxeroh?"

"He's escorting me-"

"Where to traveler?"

"That isn't your business. I need him."

He squints. "That is a shame, but we need him to pay for his crimes."

_"Crimes?"_ I snort and catch a glimpse of the knocked out Luke, seeing nothing but innocence and dirt on his face from the fall. The only crime I can imagine him doing is stealing two out of five cookies from a neighbor's windowsill. "What kind of crimes?"

"That isn't your business is it? Unfortunately since you're with this wanted man, we're going to take you in too."

"Not going to happen." Before the second pair of guards could seize me, I raise my hands offensively. "If you value your lives you would step away from me and give me back Luke and we'll be on our way." The general laughs and then wheezes.

"Care to look towards the cliffs?" At least three dozen soldiers in crimson uniforms rise from their hiding spot, each holding crossbows that are pointed at me. Hurried soldier footsteps stomp congruously behind me, sounds like four dozen of them. "I don't think you want to do anything foolish. By the time you move, my men up there would have shot you…and this." The henchmen raise Luke again to make sure I know I'm putting him in jeopardy. It would be difficult to have my revenge unless Luke is alive to take me there and I can't risk falling asleep again.

' ' '

Through the candle lit cavern, the soldiers roughly hurry us along as if there is a monster hidden in here. When I ask them questions, none answer. Everyone crouches down as the cavern's ceiling becomes lower and narrower. Finally, we reach the light at the exit of the cavern and I wish we never did. I stop to look around at the prison camp. Dirty people bound in chains manage to waddle around the unkempt camp. There were other soldiers who are pushing the prisoners and tightening their chains and barking orders at them. The general's soldiers shove me along brusquely, letting me see more of the prisoner camp. While my eyes graze over the towering stone walls, I see a spot in the wall two prisoners are trying to toughen. Abruptly I'm thrown into a fenced prison filled with a motley crew. I keep my balance while Luke, still unconscious, is tossed next to another prisoner. "New friends," says the stoic soldier to the timid prisoners. The general puts his hands behind his back and firmly speaks.

"Luxeroh will have a generous two hours of life until I decide what I want to do with him. Same thing goes for you too," he points his bony finger at me. "Anyone who accompanies this man will face the same punishment." I glance at each of the prisoners, realizing that they are all free of chains.

"No chains for us?" I smugly comment. As the general turns his back, his solder answers for him.

"You don't need chains for _dead_ men." He closes the gate and goes to his post, which is right in front of the gate. Behind me, a woman shrieks and lunges for the gate.

"I'm tired of living like this! _Let me out!_" The hysterical woman instantly collapses on her back with an arrow between her eyes. Prisoners behind me cry out and squirm away from the body as if it's cursed. Next to me, Luke finally stirs, grunting as I pushes himself up.

"Sorry…I took a nap."

"Look around fool," I waste no time updating him on the situation. He makes a weird sound of displeasure and proceeds to look around his prison. "Keep away from the gate unless you want to end up like her." He jumps at the sight of the corpse and holds back the urge to retch. One of my prisoner mates is a man, twenty-four at least, who is charged with raping most of the soldiers' wives and daughters. The other two are fraternal twins, a rare sight. One is a ginger and the other is a brunette with the same face and both smell gruesome. My clothes are beginning to become muddy but as long as I keep away from the twins I should smell fine. "So are you going to tell me what you did?"

Luke sits down gently and sighs. I recognize the unmistakable look on his face anywhere: guilt, a ghost of mine. "It's-" he gulps and sinks his head. "When are they coming back?"

"Less than two hours."

"We need to get out of here before then."

"Tried it," interrupts the rapist in tattered rags. "Security's tight. Got shot in the shoulder while they were shooting for m'head."

"Then I'll be smarter," I reply coyly, gazing at the guard through the gate. He glares at me, as if trying to figure out my plan. Pity for him I don't have one yet.

"Don, have you ever done something you couldn't take back? Something you wish you never did?" Without looking at him, I nod. I doubt this man can do any wrong, he has the naïve face of innocence. "Now I realize why I couldn't recognize the town we were walking through," he mutters sadly. "Three months ago, a great battle took place. People called it The Battle of the Fanes and it took place right where we were. These soldiers are-"

"We have less than two hours to live. Speed it up."

"I was on the opposing side and I took down the King of Fanes. I thought the Fanes soldiers all retreated from this area but I guess I was wrong. After all these months, they still remember my face." He finishes with a depressed sigh. I face him and snort, unable to control the humor of the contradiction in his personality. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," I dismiss my sarcastic humor. _"It's just ironic."_ The boy has blood on his hands, he's not an innocent kid, how humorous is that. In a way he's _almost_ like me. But I don't have time to marvel at him, soon we have to make a break for it. I gesture him to move closer. "If you distract the guard, I can break through the back of the fence."

"Hm, sure," he shrugs his shoulder. Suddenly he puts his hand on my shoulder and pushes me to the wooden fence. "You almost killed me! You think I forgot that?"

"At the Twins?" the rest of the prisoners stare at me in disbelief. "Getting rid of the Heartless was my first priority."

"But not the welfare of others right? You're a sick, conniving fiend and I wish I could have killed you when you first came to Bove," he cries out bitterly, letting all his anger loose. He charges for my legs and sends me tumbling to the ground. Luke must be a fool to do that, considering the fact he's seen what I could do. He reaches for my hair as I jerk my head around and rolls me on my back. "I hate you!" For a second I get an upside-down glimpse of the terrified looks of the twins and the rapist. Our scuffle gets the attention of the guard.

"Hey, get off him! No harm comes to dead men," he yells matter-of-factly and yanks the gate wide open. Rudely he grabs Luke's shoulders and throws him off me. "Knock it off already-hey!" I watch the guard tumble to the soil and Luke hastily climb on his back and cover his mouth. Luke pulls out his jade sword and plunges it in the guard's neck. The blood splatters on Luke's face and covers his hands as I watch in disbelief.

"An-Angelica," I hear myself mutter. I turn away to look at the fence; I can no longer watch. Suddenly I feel very sick, sick enough to stay in this camp until I feel better. No Angelica-no, I'm sorry. _"…have you ever done something you couldn't take back? Something you wish you never did?"_ I can't think about it, the pain that I caused, the pain that I felt. The guards should have imprisoned me for being a monster.

"Cover him in dirt guys and then we'll-Don, are you okay?" I feel his moist, bloody hand on my shoulder. "I didn't mean everything I said." I sigh deeply, blocking the agonizing memories as I have many times. "Sorry I had to-"

"Let's just do this."

' ' '

"Why are the prisoners out?"

"The general told us to send a message to the ambassador of Bove. That's where I'm from," Luke answers firmly. "These prisoners are my escorts."

"Where's the message?"

"It's verbal. Would you like me tell the general that you're questioning him?"

"No, no. Just go." The Fanes soldier that carried Luke earlier heads for the general's main tent. Luke turns to me, the rapist, and the twins. "It's going to take too long to go through the cave!"

"I have an idea of where we could go," I push him out of the way and pace towards the stone wall. "Be as casual as possible." We stay close to the walls as possible while the twins whistle casually. Damn, where were those prisoners working on that weak spot? You can never rely on others; I have to feel for the spot myself. Casually I rub the wall as we walk, trying to detect a dent somewhere. Finally, I feel it. "Stop. Right here, keep watch." I let one of my rings slip from my sleeve and drive through the dent. Without fail it goes through, spinning a tunnel for us.

"Don-!" Luke shakes my shoulder. Angry footsteps move towards us. Don't turn around, remember, never turn around. I get on my knees and crawl into the tunnel in the wall. I won't even look to see if Luke or the other prisoners are keeping up with my speed. Crawling in the darkness, all I hear are the angry shouts of the general. "Get them! You must face your punishments scum!" When I reach the light at the end, I climb out and recognize the familiar area, fortunately. We're in the war-ravaged town again but farther from the spot where we got captured.

"Okay you guys go," Luke huffs from behind me. "Hey, where's the other twin? Sorry-" I see the rapist make a mad dash forward, only to be shot down by one of the crossbowmen above us. "Stay close to the walls and let's go! This is where we split man." When I turn to him, he's waving at the remaining twin and then Luke looks at me innocently. "Not you, we've got people to find. Did you actually get worried I was talking about you?" I ignore him and sprint along the stone wall.


	6. The Slumbering Past

We hop in a deep ditch pretending to be dead from the fall. That's usually not my thing but Luke assured me that it was the best idea considering our situation. I feel the general's shadow over us and hear him spit into the ditch. "The King of Fanes has been avenged men. Let's go." When I hear him and the soldiers leave, I open my eyes and stare at Luke, whose simple green eyes open too.

"This is the coward's way out," I say softly. He smiles in a friendly manner. "You didn't tell me you had another agenda."

"It was impromptu."

"And the fight we had?"

He shuffles uncomfortably. "It was-real. I was really mad at you. I mean, you almost got me killed for your sake and that's selfish." Before I can speak, he cuts me off. "But I can forgive you." I stare at the dried blood on his hands as he puts them behind his head. How can he easily forgive wrongdoings?

"I didn't expect you to murder that guard," I mumble, looking up at the trees above. Suddenly the scene comes back to me but instead of Luke and the guard, it's me and Angelica. I'm shoving the blade into her neck, spilling her blood on me-she doesn't even scream but I can swear I hear her whimpering the way she does when she's scared.

"Don? Don? Relax," he assures worriedly, but quietly with his hand on my shoulder, destroying the twisted memory. "Haven't you-uh-done that before? Or something like that?"

"Of course I have."

"But you're shuddering, just like when we were back there."

"Stop talking," I hiss. Spilling stories of the past will get me nowhere. We sit in silence for twenty minutes, watching the sun move in the sky. It should be the afternoon now, it feels like it. I get to my feet and skip up the ditch with only my toes touching the dirt. To my amusement, I watch Luke attempt to do the same but he fails. He gives up after the third try and proceeds to slowly climb up the ditch.

"Help pl-_why do I bother_?" he pulls himself out with a heavy grunt and rolls on his back, panting. He pushes his curly locks from his eyes and stares up at the trees. "Okay, let's go." He gets up and we run through whatever's left of the town. I never bothered to ask him how he knows where we going. For all I know he could be leading me astray on _purpose_-he did seem very eager to help me when I spoke to him at his hometown. This kid might not know what he's doing. I can't say that anymore because he apparently a cold-blooded killer who took down a king and he handled himself well when we were at the Twins. Maybe there's more to him than what I see. A loud horn blares through my thoughts and has me startled. "Not to worry, the docks are yonder. I hope you don't get boat sick."

We reach the docks where the sun happened to be facing. As Luke talks to the boat dealer, I gaze at the water. It looks as though it is coated in violet slime. I see a hammer lying next to me and I kick it into the water. Gradually it dissolves until there's no trace of it. "Luke, the water." I glance at him and he's still talking to the dealer. "Hey, the water is acidic."

"Thank you very much," he says as he gives the dealer a bag of coins. The dealer drops the keys in Luke's hands and looks around.

"Now where did I put that hammer?" He paces off the dock to search for the dissolved hammer.

"You say something?" Luke asks me, walking by me. I follow him, wondering which of the small boats we're taking.

"The water is acidic." Now that I mention it, the bottom of the boat probably has some resistance to the water since none of them are dissolving and are staying afloat.

"I know. Here's our boat across the Venom Ocean." We walk onto a medium-sized, sturdy boat with a lounge area on the second floor. "The bottoms of these boats are enforced with a material you're not familiar with and we should reach Venom Beach before the boat _completely_ dissolves." He laughs heartily when he sees me glaring at him. "We'll be fine. I'll drive." He sits in the driver seat and the boat's engines roars to life. I head upstairs and remain standing to get a nice view of Venom Ocean, which lives up to its name. Judging on how slowly the hammer dissolved, the water is weak acid on the pH scale but there's so much of it. I doubt anything lives in the water so we should be safe as long as the water doesn't splash in the boat. I keep my balance as the boat lurches forward and takes off. The purple waves splash around and make huge waves behind us; sun rays make the water sparkle beautifully. Something _dangerous can be beautiful_ in the right light. I grab the railing as we pass over a weak bump makes the boat jump a little.

"Can you watch out for the reefs?" I call out impatiently. Luke laughs enthusiastically, he never has a weak laugh.

"I'll do my best." Why is he always so happy-go-lucky? What is there for him to be happy about? Besides Angelica, he is the most cheerful person I've met. But he knows when he has to get serious and behind that pleasant, toothy grin and laughter he is a murderer like me. I make it sound like it's a bad thing, he is fierce in battle, that's another thing we have in common so far. Orphaned and practically alone-maybe we are two of the same. "Ouch!" The boat rocks unstably as we drive into a reef. "Sorry-! There shouldn't be any reefs up here, I don't what we're bumping into." In the distance, not in our direction, I see a jellyfish jump from the water and dive back in in our direction.

"They're not reefs Don."

"I noticed! Put a se-"

A hard bump from the back tilts the nose forward abruptly. As Don manages to get the boat back in a normal position, I run down the side and lean over the boat. What's in the water that's doing this? I step back when a jellyfish with yellow eyes leaps from the water and tries to swipe at me with its tentacle. On its watery cap, the Heartless emblem is plastered on. It drops back into the water with a splash. "How far do we have to go?"

"A mile and a half," hollers Luke. "Can you help me out here?" I take in a deep breath and let all ten of my rings slide off my arms and at my command they plunge into the water under the boat. They push up under the boat, slightly lifting it into the air.

* * *

I don't know what Don is doing behind me, but he's grunting and is somehow making the boat fly a bit. "Which way do we have to go?" he grunts, obviously strained.

"West!" I shout back. He's one powerful alien, that's for sure.

"I can only do this for a little bit, so do what you have to do!" Something large rams into the side of the boat. I unbuckle myself and run to where Don is standing. His eyes are closed and his face is scrunched up in an ugly countenance but I guess he's really concentrating. "Careful, it's more Heartless ramming into us." I unsheathe my blade and stand by the railing, waiting for them. A green one, with a missile for a head, flies from the water as if launched from a cannon. I lean down and slash it across the face; a heart flies above the boat as it evaporates. The boat abruptly tilts to the left side, knocking both of us off balance. While Don manages to keep some balance, the railing stops me from falling and then I hear another Heartless behind me from the water. Gripping the railing for dear life, I turn only my head and brandish my blade hand around until I hear the Heartless dissipate, being careful not to hit Don. As I'm about to charge over to the other side, yet another one drives into the side of the boat.

"Aaaaaah!" I charge over to the tilting side and blindly slash at whatever is hitting us. Whatever I hit, it seems to stop the chaos for a second.

"Luke, I can't-" complains Don. "Get back to the front." I dive for my seat, buckle up and put my hands on the steering wheel. The boat crashes with a big splash as Don's golden rings drop the boat. I hear Don groan as the water sprays the boat.

"Are you okay?"

"How much longer?"

"We're just about there."

"Shit-!"

"What?"

"They're getting smart. Crap, hurry up!" Does he really think I can make this go any faster? He needs to realize that this is the maximum speed. Venom Beach is almost in perfect view now, I think we're going to make it. Sweat rolls off my forehead as a giant blue fish Heartless leaps in front of the boat, over my head and somewhere on the second floor. "Don, can you handle that please?"

"I'm occupied at the moment," he complains harshly. The eerie sounds of Heartless dissipating are louder than the engine of the boat. "They're trying to dissolve the boat-we have to go!" Come on, come on, we're almost there. We have to get through this-I did not picture my death this way. My death is going to be a peaceful one at home after all this is over, I'll grow old at my house and maybe die in my sleep and I'll look back on this moment and laugh about how I nearly died here. I can hear the sizzling behind me as the boat is now drenched in venomous water. I just a moment of peace to get us to the shore.

"…_sorry Luke," said Dad. "We have to go away for a long time."_

"_Why can't I come?" I demanded._

"_It's for the safety of you and your sister. You're both in danger and I need you to stay here with Gran," replied Dad firmly. _

"_Are you going to visit me?"_

"_Of course we will," Mom joined in, placing her gentle hands on the back of my head and tracing the back of my neck. "When you're a little bit older, we'll come back and then we'll be a happy family again."_

"_Promise?"_

"Promise," _both of them said. "But you have to be a big boy while we're away. Listen to Gran and be a strong young man when we return." I nodded my head determinedly. _

"_I will. I'll miss you!"_

"Unbuckle the damn seatbelt Luke! Can't you hear me?" Don's coarse voice brings me out of my nostalgic reverie. "We're sinking!" I obey, taking off the seatbelt hurriedly, tugging on the strap impatiently until I realize I forgot to push the buckle. "Hang on." His thick arm wraps under my arms, across my chest, and pulls me from my seat effortlessly. Suddenly, the steering wheel is pulled away from me and I can see the entire boat and the Heartless-infested ocean. I never did see what Don was freaking out about. Half of the boat is swallowed and only the front part is partially remaining as if three sharks made a meal out of the boat. When I look up, I squint at the beaming sun and the moist clouds, almost an arm reach away. The poisonous ocean's halcyons buffet me fiercely, blowing my hair in all directions. I've never looked at Venom Beach from an aerial view-almost everything up here looks stunning.

Abruptly, we crash in the shallow water and Don hurries out before any damage can come to either of us. He releases me and I drop face-flat onto the grey sand. I hear him plop down beside me, quietly panting; so he does get tired too. I only turn my head slightly to look at his stoic face. "How are you doing?"

"Fine."

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"Saving me, of course. You could have left me to die there." His mouth twists into something that looks like a smirk. "Ready?"

To my surprise he answers nonchalantly, "No. Not yet." I smile as I re-plant my face in the grainy sand.

' ' '

"Finally a bed to sleep on!" I sigh contently as I plop on the firm mattress. I spent the last of my money here, hoping that Don would be kind enough to escort me home after all of this is over, but something tells me he won't. Oh well, I get to explore the towns and countries for a while before I go back home. I've always wanted to do that and hey, maybe Don will stay a while and join me before he goes back to his world. I sit up and remove my boots. Don apathetically sits on the second bed and lets his head drop.

"How much farther are we?" he asks, sounding restful for once.

"Eh, not that far. A couple of miles away."

"So I'll make my way from here."

"No!" I protest astonishingly. Yesterday I wanted nothing more to do with Don but I've gotten used to him and how he handles things and I enjoy his company. But when he waits expectantly for a candid reason, my mouth opens but nothing comes out. He shrugs and rests his head on the opposite side of the bed and uses the wall to rest his legs. "Besides, you never told me who you're looking for," I add sheepishly.

"I did," he says firmly.

"You didn't give me their names or anything! Now I want to know who these people are who almost got you and me killed." He stares up towards the ceiling reluctantly. "Come on, it's the least you owe me."

"I don't know the boy's name. I don't even know who he is, but he took someone that I need. Her name is Mia."

"Mia?" Oh why does that name stab my heart? A wave of anxiety covers me like a thick blanket. "You said Mia." Maybe he's talking about a different Mia. There's no way that she could be alive-that's impossible. He _must _be talking about a different Mia.

"Are you a parrot?"

* * *

When I turn to Don, his countenance is a perplexed one. His mouth drops as if he's figuring something out in his head. "What does she look like?"

"Blue hair, dark complexion, green eyes," describing her makes my stomach churn a bit. Why is it so important to him? He doesn't know her.

"And-and how old is this girl?" I can tell he is trying to suppress his true feelings. His tone is a shaky one.

"About twelve." We let twelve minutes of silence pass. Outside there are crickets making noise and a weak _woooo_ coming from the roof. Mia, I'm coming to get you soon. Why did I think it like it that? I just need her to get Chaos Emeralds. "Why is it so important to you?" I finally ask him. He looks as if he wants to cry but why? His hands are in shaky fists trying to hide his face. "Luke." I sit up, taking my feet off the wall.

"She's my little sister. You're talking about my sister."


	7. A Sinful Heart and a Broken Promise

Did Mia come to Metropolis with another man? I try to remember who else she was with-that foolish little punk who thought he could take me. She never came with Luke, how can he be her brother? What kind of brother doesn't live with his sister? After absorbing the simple, yet complicated idea of the sentence, I finally respond, "How do you know that?"

"Trust me, I know," says Luke with a heavy sigh. "I just can't believe-after all this time she's alive. I thought she would be dead."

"Why would you believe her to be dead?"

"Because a long time ago my parents used to live with me-until my mom got pregnant. She said she was having a little girl and that I would be her big brother. But…they had to leave for some reason and the night before they left they told me her name would be Mia." I did notice that he and Mia have the same eyes and dark blue hair. Why didn't I realize the connection before? Perhaps I did and I just dismissed it because it was a trivial thought. "And I never heard from any of them. All I know is that my parents died years after that and I just assumed that she did too," he concludes sadly. "But you're saying she's alive?"

"As far as I know." What if the boy killed her already? I should've left already, Luke said we weren't that far from them. What's stopping me then-concern for Luke? What a joke.

"So tomorrow we're going to see her!" his mood suddenly shifts into a cheerful one. He grins hopefully and shakes with nervous laughter. "I'm going to actually meet her! And I thought that all this time that I was the last remaining family member. I'm so glad-I'm going to bring her home with me and we'll catch up after all these years." I chuckle quietly at that but he doesn't notice. He is blind with sheer joy. "So tell me Don, what's she like?"

"That's a silly question."

"Why? You guys are friends and you know her more than I do obviously." I shift uncomfortably on the bed as I recall the coarse interactions I've had with her.

_"Acquaintances at best,"_ I look out the dark window, avoiding his eyes. "And let's leave it at that."

"Just tell me," insists Luke anxiously. "Unless she's the kind of person that I wouldn't want to meet. Are you trying to say that's a bad person?" For some reason that jabs me in the chest like the blunt edge of a sword even though I know he doesn't mean that.

"Mia is a very kind person-she looks a lot like you." When he watches me expectantly, I add, "She's-mmm, a sad person." If I told Luke that I'm using for finding Chaos Emeralds, I'm unsure of how he would react. "Very scared of everything. She helps me when she can." Luke is smiling sadly until I say the last sentence as if it doesn't sit right with him.

"So why are you looking for her when you're only 'acquaintances at best'?" he inquiries skeptically. His late, brotherly overprotectiveness is something I can perceive in his voice like a car alarm in the dead of night. Unfortunately, I don't know how to answer him, not making me very convincing. The lie is on the tip of my tongue but I know he will recognize it as a bad lie and I still don't know how he'll handle the truth. I finally figure out how I'm going to answer.

"That's none of your business. I do whatever I please with her." It doesn't mean to come out like that, but it's too late to unsay something. "What does it matter to you anyway? You weren't there for her when she came to my world." Luke rises from the bed in aghast and angrily scowls at me.

"How-I told you I thought she was dead like the rest of my family. It was out of my control-why are you looking for her huh?"

"Don't ask questions that you don't want to know the answers to."

"She's my sister, I have to know."

"I don't care."

"Then you've lost my trust."

"I didn't need it in the first place. Trust is what gets you hurt. Trust is what gets you killed," I retort bitterly. Trust is what killed Angelica and trust is what killed _me_ many years ago.

* * *

"I'm not going to bed until you tell me what you've done to her," I persist stubbornly. "I have a right to know-and don't give me any crap either." He gets out of the bed and coldly glowers at me. "No more lying."

"She's one of the few people who I can use to locate powerful gems called Chaos Emeralds. That's the only reason I know her and _the_ _only_ _reason_ that I'm looking for her," Don says truthfully without a trace of guilt. Where is this man's conscience? He sees nothing wrong with using my sister for his own design. And for all I know he could be lying about Mia too. I should have never have trusted him, he was right. It was a silly idea. "Do things have to get messy?"

"No," I reply firmly with my jaw clenched. Surprised at my own anger, I close my eyes and quickly exhale. "I…I don't know how-you can live with yourself-"

"Sometimes I wonder too," he interrupts emptily.

"Mia's an idiot if she trusts you." I have nothing else to say to him. In a huff, I turn off the lamp and climb into bed, not knowing if Don is still standing there or not. I don't give a damn if he leaves or not. I shut my eyes angrily, hoping to have a dreamless night, but nobody ever gets what they want, especially me.

_We had a nice home where we were. It was only me, Mom and Dad. They would never let me stray too far away from home, never let me go outside the bamboo groves of Bove. I was okay with that; I was a happy kid until I turned seven years old. "Make a wish Luke," Mom had said while scratching my hair on the night of my birthday. I had wished to be the world's coolest swordsman-what a wasted wish. Wish in head, I blew out the candles._

' ' '

_I woke up early that morning and trotted out of my room to play with my toys. I saw Mom and Dad were already up and I wanted to surprise them so I hid behind the wall, even though I knew they didn't like surprises. They sounded like they were talking about something urgent so I listened first. Dad was speaking to someone I didn't know, "…find us?"_

"_I knew where to look Dunstan, I've known for quite some time," the deep, ominous voice answered. I was too scared to look at who it was, he sounded scary. _

"_If you're going to try to bring us back, I'm not leaving Phoebe," he firmly said in a voice I've never heard before. It made me shudder fearfully. I was a good kid so my parents never yelled at me unless I went into bamboo groves by myself._

"_I'm not here to bring you back home," assured the voice. "I'm here to tell you and Phoebe something important. Phoebe's parents have been frequently visiting me, inquiring to know where you two have been. I told them I did not know but they found out through Korbin. They are coming here today with Korbin to bring you back. I suggest you two leave right away."_

"_But Shade you must understand, we already have a child!" protested Mom._

"_I'm aware of him, I can sense him nearby, but it will be safer for you, your son, and the child on the way."_

"_Leave him? How could we?" demanded Dad. "If I must face Korbin then let it be so."_

"_Do you want to put your unborn child in danger Dunstan? You and I both know what Korbin is capable of. You need to make your mind." I silently begged him to say no. If they loved me, they would say no right?_

"_Phoebe, what do you want to do?" Dad asked tenderly._

"_Shade is providing us with the best option. We're going to get everything together now." Her slippers tapped against the floor as she hurried into her bedroom._

"_What about my son Shade? What'd you expect me to do about him?" he asked desperately and added sadly, "I really thought she would say no."_

"_Let your grandmother take care of him, she will welcome him with open arms, but you must hurry, they will be here soon and I know that they won't find the child. And if they do, they probably wouldn't recognize him without his parents, rest assured." When I heard Dad's footsteps grow closer to me, I tried running away before he could catch me._

"_Luxeroh, stop right there. You heard all that didn't you?" I nodded to his dismay. "I'm sorry Luke, we have to go away for a long time."_

"_Why can't I come?" _

"_It's for the safety of you and your sister. You're both in danger and I need you to stay here with Gran." _

"_Are you going to visit me?"_

"_Of course we will," Mom rushed from her bedroom and joined in. "When you're a little bit older, we'll come back and then we'll be a happy family again."_

"_Promise?"_

"Promise," _both said. "But you have to be a big boy while we're away. Listen to Gran and be a strong young man when we return." _

"_I will. I'll miss you!"_

But they lied to me the way Don did. They never did come back. Maybe they loved Mia more than me and chose to stay with her until they died. Or they hated me for making them leave. I open my eyes and stare at the dark morning sky from the window. Is Don still here or did he leave to go get Mia? "…fool for trusting me. _She was a fool_." Is he talking about Mia and what I said earlier? I shouldn't have said that about my sister, I spoke out of anger. "Forgive me Angelica. You were a fool to trust me." He must be muttering in his sleep. "Sorry. I'm sorry. I couldn't-I'm sorry."

He's got problems of his own-_shadows that still haunt him_. I shouldn't listen, I should just go back to sleep. We'll find Mia tomorrow and I'll bring her back home and keep her safe. If Don gets in my way, there are going to be problems.


	8. Unbreakable Silence

Don finally gets out of bed, uses the bathroom, and washes his face. He glances at me once as I lean against the night table where I stayed the entire night and says nothing. I could have left him in his sleep but I didn't-he should be grateful for that at least. I stand up and go into the bathroom; pensively, I stare at my reflection in the mirror. I'm a monster, a creature without a soul, no better than the monsters called Heartless. I couldn't save Angelica and I couldn't save Mia. She could be dead by now and it's my fault. I curl my hand into a fist, fed up with seeing the man in the mirror. The mirror shatters as I throw a furious punch at it. I take the shards of glass out of my hand and exit the bathroom, waiting for Luke to inquire about it. His arms are folded and he stares out the window sulkily. I slowly sit back on my neat, untouched bed and wait for Luke to move. Eventually he gets up from his bed, puts the scabbard on his belt, and stomps out of the room with me following close behind.

Outside, the birds are singing gleefully unaware that not everyone wants to listen to their songs this morning. I glance at my healed hand and spot one other glass shard stuck in it. Apathetically I pull it out, chuck it away and watch the cut the shard gave me close and heal up rapidly without a scratch. The landscape is pleasant and contains different kinds of verdure that don't exist on Graham. We climb up the rocks adjacent to the rushing waterfall. For once, Luke keeps up with me and is moving at a good speed. He called Mia an idiot last night and he's right, but it annoys me a little. She is a naïve idiot but she was kind to me when nobody was, besides Topaz. But Topaz can't always be trusted and kindness will get you nowhere; kindness is a weakness that can get you stabbed in the back. Once this adventure is over with, I'll be done with Luke and I'll never have to see him again and I can go back to helping the Professor collect Chaos Emeralds for her next plan. But then I'll make sure that kid that took Mia pays when I find him. I squint at the sun's rays glaring down at me, yet Luke presses on, shoving every branch out of his way coarsely.

Why is he a perfect person? He gets mad when he needs to be and is lenient like his sister. But he's not naïve and gullible-he attacks mercilessly, thinks cunningly, and should not be trifled with. That's another set of things we have in common, but people _like_ him. Strangers glare and narrow their eyes at me warily while he is welcomed anywhere. Without Mia he faced an easy life and grew up with love unlike me-my jealousy is disgusting and petty. He didn't watch his parents die in front of him, he literally lived the perfect life until now. I should have killed him when he first attacked me-no, then I wouldn't have made it this far. It's too late for regrets and should'ves. Three hours later, we find a log to rest on. The rushing stream nearby and sounds of wildlife fill our overwhelming silence. I can tell Luke wants to say something but remains taciturn like me.

He suddenly gets up and strays off the main road we've been following. His visage is shaken and pained as if I've done something to him. I hurry after him, pushing through the bushes and the branches and find him taking sips of water from the stream, not realizing that I'm behind him. His head turns slightly to a pink chrysanthemum that has already matured, thinking of Mia. Hesitantly, he reaches for the flower then stops. With a frustrated grunt, he plucks the flower from the ground and puts in his pocket. It's probably for Mia; if he thinks that a single flower is going to make up for his absence in her sad life, then he's a f-I'll keep my mental insults silenced for now. He turns his head completely around and glowers when he sees me watching as if he read what I was about to think. Luke gets to his feet and brusquely pushes past me, leaving me there. Angelica didn't like chrysanthemums, she thought they were "ugly flowers".

I catch up with him and soon after another hike, I see a stone pillar covered in moss. Then another one and then two more; hopefully we're getting nearer. When we reach the fourth pillar, Luke sprints into a section of the abundant, violet bushes that obstructs one's view of anything behind it. I join his side as we stand in front of the mouth of a partially lit cave. He enters first, gazing around as if he could see everything. The light of the sun fades the deeper I go into the cave. Luke takes a torch off its scone and hands it to me without turning his back. I grab it from his hand and proceed on, wondering why I didn't just throw the torch in his face. Before we can take another step, a swarm of Heartless appear in front of us. Luke takes out his jade blade and swings at the feeble Heartless with antennas on their heads. In one swoop they're all gone except for one that is smart enough to hang back. It retreats to another level below us.

Luke and I run after it, not even tripping down the hidden staircase we noticed. On the next level yellow eyes ogle us rapaciously and creep towards us, hissing at the light from the torch. More weaklings to take out. One ring flies off my sleeve and charges at the swarm like a bird of prey coming in for the kill before Luke can take another strong swing. The one Heartless from before descends another flight of stairs, escaping Luke's quick blade again. Our shoes slam anxiously on each descending step, eager to see the next level of this underground cavern.

Unlike the other levels, this one is illuminated with more torches on the sides of each cavern wall. On the ceiling hangs a chandelier of fire, covering the cave with flickering shadows. Luke and I glance around first before our eyes lock on the same person.

"_Mia!"_ we simultaneously shout, breaking our perpetuating silence. Luke reaches her first, but doesn't make a move to touch her. She's lying on a stone table with her eyes closed peacefully as if she's sleeping. "Wake up, come on." Shaking her is in vain, I quickly learn. I take her wrist and place two fingers on it with some hope I'll feel a pulse. Her heart responds with a strong pulse but why is she still sleeping? "Open your eyes already." I glance at Luke, who can only stare at her blankly as if he's in a dream and isn't sure if this is really happening.

"She's not going to answer you, haven't you figured that out already?" I recognize the young boy who kidnapped her from behind. He stiffly stands behind us with his arms behind his back.

"Did you kill her?" I demand, dropping her limp wrist.

"In a way, yes. With this." Behind his back, a key-shaped sword appears in purple-crimson smoke. "You're wondering 'if I killed her, why does her heart still beat?' It's a simple concept really. You and I have two hearts inside us, one is our blood-pumping heart and the other is where our soul sleeps. I took the latter but without either one you can't live. Without a heart," he slaps the corner of his chest, "you simply cannot be alive anymore but without the _heart_," he slams the center of his chest. "You are missing a soul filled with your spiritual energy." He caresses the blade while condescendingly smiling at me. "I only needed her second heart."

"I'll make you pay for attacking me in the first place," I growl with my arms glowing with golden rings. "You're going to know what real pain when I destroy both of your hearts. This is what happens when you tamper with people older than you kid."

"Maybe you should tend to your friend before you decide to take me," he nods toward Luke, who's on the ground trembling like a scared child who just fell down the stairs and softly grunting. I could only watch guiltily as he clutches his chest as if he wants to rip his heart out, the "soulful" one.

"Luke-!" I don't know what this kid's done to him, but he's going to pay dearly.

"That was a cry of pure _selfishness_. I could hear it in your bitter tone. Why are you here, you only care for your own needs-"

"That's it."

"Don, just stop for one second," groans Luke resolutely. "I'll handle this guy."

"On the floor like that? No-he's my kill, I owe him from before."

"Let me do this for my sister, please." I turn to look down at him but now he's up on his feet, blade in hand. His green eyes are narrowed at the kidnapper. "Just get her out of here, can I trust you to do that?"

"I have-" Before I disagree with him, I stare at his eyes and realize something's been renewed within him. It has to do with seeing Mia like this I'm sure. His brotherly instincts or his genuine care for people is going to be enough to take this kid down. "Yeah."

* * *

"Take the body, it'll just fade away when I'm done with you," says the boy mockingly. Don slumps Mia over his shoulder and starts to walk towards the boy cautiously. "No tricks up my sleeves." He raises his hands submissively and lets Don pass by. Before he disappears into the shadows with Mia he cocks his head sideways.

"Luke. Make sure you make him suffer," he encourages me smugly. I smirk back.

"Like the King of Fanes." I remember when I barged into the king's throne room alone. The rest of the soldiers were fighting with the king's guards. The King of Fanes scowled at me and snatched the two-handed golden axe he hung over his throne and lunged at me. With just a side-step I dodged his clumsy axe and chucked the jade sword in his back. He gasped out loud and then cried out in misery as he collapsed to the floor, my weapon still stuck in him. I pulled my bloody blade out and tossed it over my shoulder as his crown rolled next to my feet. The war was finally over.

Don heads up the stairs, finally leaving me and this kid alone. "Here we are, about to have it out and I don't even know what your name is. Mine is Nate."

"Luxeroh."

"A very exotic name."

"Nate, how will you like my blade in the back of your spine?"

"Honestly Luxeroh, I don't think you'll be able to touch it." I take the first swing, missing terribly as he side-steps to the right. "Can you really trust that selfish man to take care of Mia? He's in this all for himself. I can see the greed inscribed in his eyes."

"I trust him," I reply earnestly as I slash at him again with brutality. "And I know he trusts me well enough to take care of you." He laughs cynically as he rolls to the side skillfully.

"It's a shame you're going to end up breaking his promise and trust. By the end of this fight, I would have figured you out-right now, I'm reading you like a book. How you attack, how you speak, how you move and by the time you outsmart me Luxeroh, it will too late to save anyone."


	9. Memory Hiding in the Oblivious

Nate says he's going to try to read me, we'll see about that. Still not using the key-shaped sword, he lunges at me and comes into my face confidently. I essay a plunge into his head but he steps back deftly. Man, this kid is like a nimble snake, it's hard to even scratch him. As if reading my thoughts he smiles. "I can dodge you because I know you."

"We just met," I ease out of my offensive position and add, "how could you know me?"

"I know that you are related to Mia," he declares as he circles me with his strange raven blade in hand. "I know you're a skilled swordsman, you're friends with Don, and you're afraid of me." I snort, turning around.

"Why should I be afraid of you?"

"Because I know things that you don't. Things that will shake you from the inside out, things that are going to help me defeat you."

"Tell me those things."

"I knew you would say that." I frown, only confirming his ability to "read me like a book". "You act just like your sister. I spoke to her once but I know her mind inside and out, therefore I know _your_ mind. I know when you're going to attack and the degree of ferocity you'll attack with." A heavy grunt gives me away as I slash at him; he skips back into the shadowy part of the cave. "You're jealous of Mia."

"A ridiculous thing to say. You're so wrong about that."

"Am I? She was with your family right before they died. It was for Mia that they abandoned you Luke, think back on it." I shake my head violently, trying to make the doubts dissipate. "Don't deny it, it's her fault you lost your parents and it's her fault that you're here now." He's trying to mess with you Luke, don't let him. Don't let him get inside you. "It's her fault that this will be the last day you're living."

"Stop talking," I sternly shout. My command echoes off the walls; I hear him chuckle faintly. The hilt of his blade jabs me in the back of my head, making me stumble a few feet away from him. I rub the spot where he hit me and hold my blade offensively at wherever I hear the laughter. I shouldn't have underestimated this kid. If Don were here, he would have finished him off already-I just hope he got Mia out of here by now.

"You're regretting ever challenging me aren't you?"

"No!"

"Luxeroh you're a terrible liar. You shouldn't try. That man Don, very simple to read. The Darkness that haunts that man's heart reeks of pomegranates. Trust me, it would have had the same outcome. But let's get back to Mia. Some part of you hates her, I can see that-no wait, let me explain-"

"Let _me _explain, I don't hate Mia! I don't even know her. She left before I could…" the words I want to say doesn't come out. The image of my parents saying goodbye the last time paralyzes me. They promised they would come back but they never did. It really is because of my sister-wait no! Come now, I can't deny the truth with delusions. The sudden sharp blow to the solar plexus sends me reeling to the cold ground. When my head hits the ground, I can only see Nate standing in the light, radiating a black aura, still not using the sharp edge of his black blade.

"As I was saying," he continues as if never interrupted. "Without her, your family would have never left you. Without her, they wouldn't have promised you to your death." To breathe hurts-I have to get up though, to keep fighting. Before I could try to sit up, Nate's foot stomps down on my sore spot, causing me to cry out in pain. He points the blade at my chest, which causes my heart to pound rapidly. "It's someone else's heart that's causing you to react like this. Just listen carefully to the beating of your heart."

I close my eyes and ignore the echoes off the wall. It's just me and my heart-it sounds so strong despite everything. Ba-boom, ba-boom, ba-boom, ba-boom, ba-boom…it's a heavy thing to carry. It feels so scared inside me. "Do you hear it?" asks Nate curiously.

"Yes."

"No you don't. Listen carefully for it, don't you hear something else?"

"I…do." Underneath my heartbeat, a set of ba-bum, ba-bum, ba-bum, ba-bum beats like a loud drum. "Why?"

"Because within your chest there is not only your heart but another's heart. Someone else's heart is sleeping inside yours. _Mia's_."

"Mia's?" Her name triggers a memory I never considered relevant to me.

* * *

Of course now the cave is teeming with bigger Heartless. The flick of my arm sends the adult-sized Heartless crashing into the cave wall. Behind me, another one takes hold my arm and I instantly throw it at the Heartless-infested ceiling. I'm handicapped with Mia on my shoulder but I've got to make the best out of this. I yank off the golden ring on my wrist and toss it over my head. It shines a golden light, brightening the entire level. As I look down, the Heartless' red claws are all over my jeans. With a grunt I kick them into each other and press through the sickening swarm. Finally I made it to the stairs; I ascend them hastily, reaching the first one. I can see the orange light outside a couple of feet away and no signs of Heartless. I grip Mia's back as I sprint towards the light. A piercing cry stops me from going another step further. Was that that kid's or was it Luke's?

I turn towards the stairs again. Do I go back down to help him? No, he said he would handle it and he gave me Mia, knowing that I can't run off and find Chaos Emeralds with a dead body. Always planning something behind his innocent face. Abruptly I lurch forwards, crashing head-first into the rocks and bang my head on the steps. I no longer feel Mia's weight on my shoulders as I roll down the steps where more Heartless are waiting. This kid is bent on keeping everyone trapped in here-if I wasn't me, I could have let Luke down right here. I shakily get to my feet and search for Mia's body while ascending the steps. Luckily her still body is reposing at the pinnacle of the staircase and doesn't seem to have taken physical damage from the blow. When I make it to the top, the spider-shaped Heartless blocking the exit slams its lanky arm into my chest and pins me against the wall.

* * *

"_Luke, you'll be a big brother soon. Are you going to open your heart to your sister?" I was perplexed at what Dad said. Right after they promised to visit me again, they wanted me to keep another promise? I tilted my head in confusion like an owl. "What I'm asking is, if something happens to your sister, will you keep her safe?"_

"_But I won't see her. How am I supposed to protect her?" I wondered aloud._

"_You have to answer my question-will you open your heart to your sister if she's ever in trouble?"_

"_Yeah!" Mom was silently watching our dialogue from my rocking chair. She sighed at my response as if I made the wrong choice. "Mommy, why are you sad?"_

"_Baby it's nothing," she came over and sat on the bed, hiding her pain with a forced smile. "It's just-please don't hate Mommy and Daddy if something happens to your sister. Okay?"_

"_I would never!" I jumped up and bounced on the bed, startling Dad a bit. "I'll protect my little sister even if she's really far away. Promise." Mom and Dad exchanged lukewarm smiles and at the same time, a white sphere and a dark sphere appeared on their fingertips, respectively. Simultaneously, they poked my chest, filling it with something warm and something cold-fire and ice. It instantly made me stop jumping and I curled under the covers._

"_Thank you for opening your heart to her Luke," said Mom, stroking my hair gently and pulling the covers over me. Suddenly really exhausted, I closed my eyes as soon as my head hit the pillow. The last words I heard Dad say before I fell asleep was, "I think we should call her Mia. My grandma has that name..." _

Water covers my eyes when I leave my flashback. I gasp loudly, realizing that I had sealed my fate eleven years ago. As I stare into Nate's stern eyes, I realize that he was right. Mia's heart brought me back to her and it was her fault that I'm here now.

_ I'm a safety net for her heart._

"You finally realized it Luxeroh. How does it feel knowing that your entire existence was meant for the well-being of your sister? Your heart should hold nothing but contempt for the people that have ruined your life. I told you that you would not be going home alive today-all you are is a vessel." I am just a safety net and I only agreed when I was little because I didn't know any better. No, that doesn't sound right. "You're fighting with yourself. Just accept your reason for living and let me fulfill your purpose." He lifts the dark blade over my chest. "Get ready Nox, I am coming for you tonight!"

In slow motion, the sword dives for my chest and my hands clap the tip an inch away from my chest. "You're not very strong," I groan with a chuckle. His cool, relaxed, condescending manner vanishes and is swallowed by frustration's ugly face.

"This is the only way to save your sister!" grunts Nate ferociously, straining to plunge the key-shaped sword. "Liberate her Luxeroh and carry out your purpose."

"_I won't." _


	10. Nothing More Than a Stranger

I throw him off to the side effortlessly, he's as light as a feather. He bangs against the ceiling as the coal key-shaped blade drops on the hollow ground. In the shadows, I see him struggle to use the wall to pick himself up. "Are you…not going to-to save her?"

"I will save her."

"The only…way you can is…to-"

"I know that Nate." I proudly rise to my feet with jade sword in hand. "I did make a pact with my parents to protect Mia, but not because I was a foolish, ignorant child. It is because before she was born I loved her and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that her heart doesn't end up in your hands." From underneath my feet, a cyan light emerges along with a bright violet one. I stand in awe along with Nate as the separate lights swirl around my legs and eventually my torso. Whatever's happening to me-it feels really good, something is changing for the better. I close my eyes blissfully as the two separate lights swallow my face whole. My face burns like the scorching sun but also feels like it's been plunged into the coldest waters. Somehow, I know that the power is coming from inside me and that it's no trick from Nate. The lights dissolve immediately after masking my face and I examine my new torso admiringly.

There are glowing swirls of faint cyan and lavender lines running vertically along the sides of my new deep sea tank top. My pants are replaced with matching, baggy slacks that are tucked into my crisp burnt orange boots. As I lift my sword hand, I trace the new metal platinum blade that is sharper, flatter, and longer than the other one-more jewel décor on the hilt-all the way to the curved tip. Other than my clothes, my muscles look slightly augmented. Gazing at Nate dauntlessly and smugly striding toward him, I put my hand in my pocket and squeeze the flower I picked up for Mia.

* * *

I can no longer figure him out. It's like after his transformation, he became a _brand new_ person. But how is that possible? No Nate, a wardrobe change is not enough to change a person entirely but a body one is. Luxeroh lifts the sword horizontally and says, "keep your eyes on me." Sparkles rest around his neck like a pair of snakes then burst, revealing crimson and yellow chains. He has courage now I see; I grit my teeth as I snatch up the Keyblade and charge at him, brandishing it out of desperation. He instantly vanishes as if he was never there. Behind me!

I turn around and to my horror _I'm wrong_. His sharp blow to the side of my head sends me tumbling to the ground. Something tells me I'm going to end up here for a while. Suddenly he's got a hold on my collar and belligerently punches me until I can no longer feel my nose or see him properly. Oh God there's so much blood on his hands-relax Nate, you can figure out what he's going to do. But who knew he was capable of this? His eyes gave him away as a humble, reserved man-but they have changed so much. Like throwing a baby, he chucks me into the shadowy part of the walls where I know I can recover from his stringent beatings. Just find the Keyblade of People's Hearts and concentrate on his eyes. They always reveal what the mouth doesn't say or what the body fails to show.

As I start to sit up, I howl in agony as Luxeroh plunges his upgraded blade into my chest. Deep enough to pierce through my vigorously beating heart and my soul-how can a blade that isn't a Keyblade do that? Unless-no, he doesn't have one, it's just an ordinary blade, but still how? As my head begins to slump over, I take notice of the fresh blood on my pants and Luxeroh's clothes. "Read me now Nate," he whispers as he holds my bobbing head still with his bloody fingers in my hair. As I gaze into his jade eyes, I realize that his eyes have a clean slate, oh, but there's an image of someone. Someone very scared, someone frightened, and hurt, _someone that looks lost_-me. He shucks his sword from my chest harshly, sending me to the ground to drown in a puddle of my blood. I was never a good fighter Nox said to me forever ago. So this is how it feels to be Heartless, hopping to different worlds to devour worlds because without a heart there is nothing but a void inside you. I feel that now.

Almost a week ago, or a month I'm losing track of time, I had a plan to seize the heart and soul of a little girl. Using her power, I would rebel against Nox and his pupils and rule over World 15 myself and then search for the cliché things bad guys want-ultimate power, immortality, maybe world domination. I was going to have it all. Nox said I was never a good fighter but I learned to manipulate others in to doing what I want by understanding how different people thought-the eyes. But all that knowledge vanished when the knight in shining blue transformed and I could no longer read his eyes.

* * *

I drop Mia on a soft part of the ground, resting her head on a rock. My last golden ring returns to the slot on my sleeve. That Heartless-Guardian Door thing never stood a chance. After all this, after everything I went through, Mia is still dead. I don't care what that kid said about two hearts, Mia's as good as dead and you can't bring the dead back to life. I should know, I tried. But now I look towards the future, finding the other two girls and using them to find the Chaos Emeralds, life goes on. I stand up and start to walk away-where would I go? I have no idea how to get back to the portal I came through and also Luke entrusted me with her. It's a dead end for me.

I turn back around and get on one knee beside the cold Mia. "If you can hear me, get up," I mutter in vain, trying not to let Angelica's death swamp me with emotion. Her pale face does not stir even a little bit. She reminds me of Angelica when she died. Why can't I protect anyone? Am I that much a failure to everyone who I come into contact with? "I'll never be the knight in shining armor," I convince myself with a disheartening chuckle. There are gradual footsteps from behind me. "Who's there?"

From the bushes a man I can hardly recognize comes out. What happened to Luke? The longer I glower at him, the more I realize that it is Luke with more hair and a change of clothes. My eyes cautiously travel to the object in his hand. "Don't worry Don. I'm not bringing harm to you or my sister."

"Why do you have that blade-?" I demand, still tentative of the new-and-improved Luke with splattered blood on his arms. He flashes me that genuine smile of his-finally proving that it really is him-as he holds the key-shaped blade with hands drenched in blood that was once fresh and raw.

"I can still save her if I do this one thing. But you have to promise me something Don." I can feel a new power from within him-how did that happen? He's gotten beefier and some of his dark curls reach down to his eyebrows. How could he have changed into something more? "Are you listening to me?"

"Loud and clear."

"I thought I was going to bring her home and have her live out the rest of her days here, but things have changed. I need _you_ to protect my sister for me, please. Just keep her safe because I won't be able to-"

"What're you going to do?"

"Nate was wrong about you Don. You're not a selfish person," he comments warmly. "I digress. Protect her to the best of your abilities."

"I'm bad at keeping promises."

"Try your best to keep this one, oh, and another thing. Don't tell her about me-please don't ask why. Just never tell her a word about me, even after this, okay?" Baffled but loyally, I nod, putting a fist across my chest. Luke sighs contently, closing his eyes. "Thank you Don. It was a pleasure meeting you and I hope Mia can help you fight your inner demons." My inner demons? Before I can inquire about the cryptic phrase, he plunges the dark blade into the center of his chest as I watch helplessly.

* * *

I cry out as I tumble backwards and see the almost-setting sun with amorphous clouds straying by it. When I turn my head to look at my arm, it's transparent, as is the rest of my body. You're doing this to save Mia, remember that. Don said he'll protect her so that should be enough, I can trust him. It might be hard for both of them but I know Don will fulfill my dying wish. I just need to live long enough to see her live but I don't think I can.

"Luke, I'm still here," Don says urgently. Slowly my eyes look up to where I saw the sky and instead I see Don staying by me. Whether he likes it or not, we have become friends. An enormous pain shoots up from my chest but I bite my lip to stop myself from screaming. I can no longer feel my legs or the rest of me, it's as if a part of me just got up and abandoned me. Don and I watch as a broken, rose-colored heart that looks glued together hovers over me and then zooms elsewhere.

"Te-" it's hard for me to even speak and Don can see that. I can see the deep frown lines on his forehead. His face is beginning to blur but I can't disappear yet! No, I just have to see her alive and well once before I go to wherever people like me go. I hope I can finally see my parents wherever I end up, that's all a dying man could hope for.

* * *

As I sit up, I open my eyes. My body feels very rested, as though I just took a long nap. But when I blink everything around me into focus, I can't recognize anything. Maybe I'm in the middle of a forest or something? When I turn to my left, I see-Don? I thought he was dead. What's he doing here? "Don-what's going on?" I ask him, high-strung. He merely glances at me but has his attention at the almost transparent man by his side. I crawl over to them, repeating my question. "What's going on?" The man whose face is twisted in absolute agony startles me. "Excuse me sir! Are you okay? I can go get someone to help you, tell me what's wrong."

A pained smile slowly stretches across his face. With a faint grunt, he manages to open his dark green eyes and stare at me. How strange, it feels like I'm staring back into a mirror. "You w-were-ri-ght. I'm-g-glad I-I got-t-to meet her."

"Do I-know you?" With the little energy he has, he shakes his head. Just then a crimson, crystal heart emerges from his chest, pushing me and Don back a little. It spins as it floats upward into the setting sun, eventually becoming a fading pink spec. When I look back at the dying man, he's completely gone, without even leaving an imprint on the grass. "Don, what happened? Who was that man and why are we here?" Don closes his eyes wistfully and gets up.

"Do you sense a portal nearby?" he asks apathetically. I nod and he says, "take it home."

"But won't you please tell me what happened to that man? Who was he?"

He opens his ruby eyes sharply and answers indifferently, "nothing more than _a stranger_."

"Did you-do something to him?"

"No."

"So why did this-what happened to him?"

"I don't know, he was a stranger to me."


	11. Epilogue, A Brother's Wish

_There are so many things that I wish I could've done before I lost myself. I wanted to tell Gran that I won't ever be coming back home. I wanted to let the guards at home know that Don did not get me killed and to forgive him. I wanted to take Mia home and tell her who I really am. I wanted Don to stay in this world and be friends with me and Mia. But none of these things will ever happen because of me._

_ Mom and Dad said my true power would come out when I show true care for Mia-would that power be enough to save me from this void? I guess we'll find out if I ever wake up. But I should rest, it's been a long day. I'll let Don keep her safe. She'll cleanse his heart for me; Nate was right about some things relating to Don. Actually he was right about a lot of things about each of us. Don is haunted by inner demons that all have one name: Angelica. I wish I was alive to help him through it but I didn't have enough time. Was it a good idea to tell him to watch over Mia? Knowing him, he'll make Mia feel small and weak like he did to me. _

_ I wish I could come back to be there for her. I've had her heart within me for a while, I know how she feels. I felt her sadness, her fears, and her inability to ever trust someone again. If I was still alive, I could tell her to trust me and let me keep her safe. I could be the big brother that she truly needs but my time for living is over. This is my time to sleep, there's nothing I can do for anyone now._

_ No._

_ I can save her from her own sadness and maybe Don too. Mia's my baby sister-I made a promise to keep her safe no matter what and I will. I promise you Mia that when you know who I really am, I'll be there. When I wake up, I'll be the shoulder you can cry on and I'll have arms of comfort to help you get through your rough patch. The fragmented heart you carry is a heavy one but I will lighten the burden for you, I promise._

**Fin~**


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